Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot by Sarah Osborne is the first A Ditie Brown Mystery. Mabel “Ditie” Brown is a pediatrician who works
and lives in Atlanta, Georgia. She is surprised
when Ellie Winston, who she has not seen in two years, show up at her
house. Ellie only shows up when she is
in trouble and this time is no exception.
She asks if Ditie can watch her two children for a few days while she handles
a matter. Ditie picks up the kids from a
rundown apartment that evening and Ellie is not in residence (she left them
alone). After 12 a.m. Mabel gets a call
from Detective Mason Garrett. Ellie was
found murdered in midtown with a note that Ditie is take care of her kids if
something happens to her. What had Ellie
been up to this time? The killer
believes the kids or Ditie have something they want, and they will do whatever
it takes to get it. They only way to
protect the children is to track down the guilty party. Ditie and the kids are in for a harrowing
time in Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot.

Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot is
not your traditional cozy mystery. The
main character, Mabel “Ditie” Brown is a pediatrician who works at a refugee
clinic. Some of her patient stories are
shared in the book (sad situations). Then
we have Ellie Winston who frequently leaves her two kids (under nine) alone at
home and has questionable ways of raising money. Ellie is then murdered and Ditie is left with
two children to raise. It is distressing
that Lucie Winston (age 9) has been responsible for caring for her brother,
Jason (age 5). The tales from the
children are just heartbreaking. The
mystery has some good components and there is action that helps move the story forward. I do wish it had been harder to solve. The responsible party can easily be singled
out (if you have not solved this one by the time you are halfway through the
book, you need to turn in your deerstalker cap). The small-town charm and some light-hearted humor
(a little levity) is missing from Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot. The background on Ditie was lacking as well. The
writing lacked an ease to it and the pace was slow (the book seemed long when it
was only 244 pages). There is romance
(of course) between Ditie and Detective Garrett. Detective Garrett should have focused more on
his job instead of Ditie and fewer errors would have been made. There are cozy moments with cooking, eating,
baking, and the kids. I felt that the author
missed the mark with Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot. My rating is 3 out of 5 for Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot. To see if this cozy mystery is right for you, I suggest downloading a sample onto your e-reader.

Best Beach Ever by Wendy Wax is
the sixth novel in Ten Beach Road series.January 2 has rolled around, and the ladies have moved out of Bella Flora,
so tenant can move in.They have into
their cottages at the Sunshine Hotel.Madeline Singer is getting ready to go on tour with her rocker
boyfriend, Will.Kyra and her son,
Dustin will be departing in two weeks for Orlando where Dustin will make his acting
debut in his father’s, Daniel Deranian new film.Kyra is not looking forward to spending six
weeks in the company of Daniel’s wife, Tonja Kay.Nicole Grant Giraldi and her husband, Joe are
busy as the parents of active twin daughters.Nicole has not lost her baby weight and is unhappy with her body
image.Avery has a new project designing
a tiny home.She likes Chase Hardin, but
she is unable to commit.Something is
holding her back.Bitsy Baynard realizes
her husband is not returning (it has been over a year), and she is trying to
locate Bertrand along with the money he stole.These ladies are friends (family) through the good times and the bad. They
have been through rough times and come out the other side better for it.Come along for another journey with the
ladies and see if they get their happily ever after.

Best Beach Ever is my favorite
book in the series.It is a well-written
and engaging story.You do need to read
the Ten Beach Road series in order or you will be lost.There are too many characters and
backstories.These ladies have been on a
journey.They were taken advantage of in
a Ponzi scheme and received Bella Flora as a settlement.They had a successful television show and
then lost it.They now must rent out
Bella Flora to recoup their loss.The
benefit is they are all together at the Sunshine Hotel and Beach Club.These women have a great friendship.Maddie is the matriarch of the group and she
dispenses valuable wisdom to the group.It has been lovely to watch these women grow over the course of the
series.I admit to being frustrated with
Kyra and Avery in this installment (just wanted to shake some sense into them).It was nice to watch each woman come into her
own.It is a sweet, feel good
novel.I am giving Best Beach Ever 4 out
of 5 stars.Best Beach Ever is the
perfect summer novel.Thank you for stopping by today. Tomorrow I will be reviewing Too Many Crooks Spoil the Plot by Sarah Osborne. It is the first book in A Ditie Brown Mystery series. I hope that you have a sublime day. Happy Reading!KrisThe Avid Reader

Crime and Punctuation by Kaitlyn Dunnett is the first novel in A Deadly Edits Mystery series. Mikki Lincoln has moved to Lenape Hollow, New
York and purchased a beautiful one hundred ten year old home that used to be in
her family. However, it is in desperate
need of repairs and Mikki needs to find a way to finance them. Mikki utilizes her strengths of English and
grammar to become a freelance editor and calls her business Write Right Wright. One day Tiffany Scott arrives on Mikki’s
doorstep clutching an envelope to her chest.
Tiffany has written a 1930s mystery that is based on real life gangland
killings. Three days later, Mikki is
visited by Detective Hazlett who informs her that Tiffany has passed away. While the police do not suspect foul play at
this time, Mikki believes it is too coincidental and decides to do a little
probing. Mikki learns that Tiffany’s
husband has been buying up land to build a theme park. Many people are against the proposed venture
including Tiffany’s grandmother, Ronnie North (who is also Mikki’s high school
nemesis). After three people inquire if
Tiffany left anything with her, Mikki takes a further look at the
manuscript. What did Tiffany uncover
while researching the material for her novel?
Someone is not happy with Mikki’s sleuthing and attempts to shut her
down. Can Mikki find the killer or will
she end up the next victim?

Crime and Punctuation has a
unique premise with an older main character who has a freelance editing
business. I like that Mikki has retired,
uprooted her life and starting a new business venture. She is sixty-eight years old with no
intention of sitting around her house twiddling her thumbs. I did find Mikki, though, to be slightly lackluster. The author failed to bring her fully to life
(at least for me). Her home, though,
sounds charming and I like that she is bringing the old beauty back to life. The
town was a disappointment. We are
introduced to some of the people who live in the area, but most of the shops
are deserted (courtesy of Greg Onslow, Tiffany’s hubby). The small-town charm and coziness was missing
for me (one of the things I love about cozy mysteries). The mystery was medium level. The author did provide some misdirection to
throw readers off the scent of the real culprit. However, I found it too easy to identify the killer
and figure out why the crime was committed. The pacing was slow and I was happy when it
picked up in the last quarter of the book as we get closer to catching the
killer (more action). There is a
repetition of information along with speculation that seemed to be filler (I
wanted more substance). There are grammar
tips and explanations interspersed throughout the story (Oxford comma and
difference between further and farther for example). I
missed the humor and ease that is present in Kaitlyn Dunnett’s A Liss
MacCrimmon Mystery series. I am rating
Crime and Punctuation 3 out of 5 stars (room for improvement).

Monday, May 28, 2018

Happy Memorial Day! I hope all of you are having an enjoyable, relaxing weekend. I am featuring Dee Yates today. Her works include The Railwayman's Daughter, A Yorkshire Lass and A Last Goodbye. Dee Yates was born and brought up in the south of England. She is the eldest of nine children (wow). Sarah Flint writes crime with blood-curdling descriptions which make Dee want to hide behind her settee (I cannot wait to check out her books). You can follow Dee Yates on Amazon, Facebook, and Goodreads. Ms. Yates is currently working on a novel set in 1939. Dee moved to Yorkshire to study medicine. She continued to live and work there while raising her three daughters. Dee Yates retired in 2003 to begin writing. She now lives in Southern Uplands of Scotland where she enjoys reading, gardening, helping in the local museum, and spending time with her three grandsons. Dee writes historical fiction, poetry and non-fiction. Her youngest sister,A Last Goodbye by Dee Yates
sweeps you back to the beginning of World War I in a sheep farm in Scotland.Duncan Simpson has raised his daughter, Ellen
since her mother died giving birth to her.Duncan is getting along in years, so Tom Fairclough has been hired to
assist the shepherd.Ellen is only
fifteen when Tom arrives, and she has an openness about her along with a direct
manner which appeals to him.Over time
they grow closer until an event forces them to marry.This was not the person Tom wished to marry
and it is soon apparent in their marriage.Tom’s behavior changes making Ellen grateful when he enlists in the
war.POW’s are brought to the area to
work on the new rail line and prepare the valley for the new reservoir.Ellen is asked to care for a sick POW, Josef
Kessler.Over the long winter, Ellen gets
to know Josef and his kind heart.Find
out how Ellen’s story plays out in A Last Goodbye.

A Last Goodbye contains good
writing and it has a gentle pace.We are
taken to a remote sheep farm in Scotland where Ellen has grown up
isolated.She is raised by her father
after her mother died in childbirth.The
peacefulness of the area is disturbed by war and a need for water.Their area is the perfect location for the
new reservoir.A Last Goodbye has good
characters in Ellen and her father, Duncan.Tom is one of those characters that you will dislike from the very
beginning (you love to hate type).I
appreciated the addition of Tom’s childhood friend, Clara.She is in college working to become a doctor
which was very rare at this time.You
can feel the characters emotions pouring out of the pages (love, rage,
jealousy, joy, fear).Tom’s jealousy and
anger come clearly through along with Ellen’s thoughtfulness, caring and
directness.I thought the author did an
admirable job at depicting the horrors Tom experienced during the war.The trenches, the bodies, the noise, the injuries
and so much more.The story is told
mostly from Ellen and Tom’s point-of-views.The ending will have you yearning for more.A Last Goodbye is a poignant story that will
have reading late into the night.
I appreciate you taking the time to visit today. Please take the time to visit the other stops on A Last Goodbye tour (see banner below). On Tuesday, I will reviewing Crime and Punctuation by Kaitlyn Dunnett. The first book in A Deadly Edits Mystery series. I hope you have a spectacular day. Take care and Happy Reading!

Sunday, May 27, 2018

Good Day! I have spent the last few days putting a new kitty condo set together for my cats. It is a deluxe model that reaches the ceiling, has a house, hammocks, circles, landing pads, ladders, etc. I barely had the first section put into the place, and the cats were on it. They only leave it when they have to now. Here are a couple of close up photos (ignore the dirty glass on the sliding doors--they keep pressing their noses on it).

Heart of the Witch by Deanna Chase is the second tale in Witches of Keating Hollow series.Noel Townsend lives in Keating Hollow,
California with her six-year-old daughter, Daisy.Noel runs the Keating Hollow Inn and is an
air witch.Three years ago, Noel’s
husband, Xavier left without a word and she has not heard from him since.Daisy has not gotten over Xavier leaving and
continues to have nightly anxiety attacks.Deputy Drew Baker has been attracted to Noel, but he has been hesitant
to change their friendship.Then a call
comes in that Xavier has been spotted in the area.Drew is determined to find him and provide closure
for Noel and Daisy.Why did Xavier leave
his family three years prior?Drew hopes
that once the door closes on the past, Noel can open a window to a future that
includes Drew.

Heart of the Witch is a
well-written and engaging novel.While
Heart of the Witch can be read alone, I recommend reading Soul of the Witch
first.It lays the foundation for the series.We get to catch up with Abby, Clay, Yvette as
well as Lin Townsend.We see how
everyone is moving forward with their lives and how Lincoln is handling is treatments.Lin gives Daisy a puppy which adds to the
family chaos (and cute factor). They
are a close-knit family who love each other and are there for each other
(supportive in good times and bad).I
found the golf carts and the races hilarious.I would not mind having one myself decked out in my favorite colors (red
and blue).The book has a steady pace
and there are smooth transitions between sections.The story is told from Noel and Drew’s
POV.I like getting to see things from both
of their point of views (men and women see things very differently).There is mild foul language in the story (just
to let you know).I am rating Heart of the Witch 4 out of 5 stars.Deanna combined
magic, mystery, family, and romance into one enchanting story in Heart of the Witch.

Thank you for stopping by today. I am going to discuss A Last Goodbye by Dee Yates tomorrow. Be prepared to get swept back to World War I on a sheep farm in Scotland. I hope you have a restful day. Take care and Happy Reading!

Together Forever by Jody Hedlund is the second novel in Orphan Train series.Our journey begins in 1858 in New York City where Marianne Neumann has taken a job with the Children’s Aid Society.While Marianne could life a life of luxury since her sister married Thornton Quincy, she is determined to find her sister, Sophie.Marianne will be embarking on her first tour the next day, and the other agent who will be accompanying her is Andrew “Drew” Brady.Drew is a former schoolteacher who is good with children.He has a way of making things fun and entertaining for them.Drew, though, has secrets from his own past that continue to haunt him.The pair journey across Illinois finding homes for their children in their charge.They get to know each other and grow closer on the tour.Then an unfortunate tragedy occurs that will change the future they had planned.Will they be able to overcome this tremendous obstacle?Hop on for trip into the past in Together Forever.

Together Forever is well-written and an engaging novel.The book has a gentle pacing, good flow and smooth transitions between sections.While it is the second book in the series, Together Forever can be read alone.With You Always is summarized in this installment in the Orphan Train series.However, I recommend reading the series in order.You get to see the characters mature.Marianne has changed and regrets her actions in With You Always.It was interesting to find out more about the orphan trains and how they operated.What these children suffered is just heartbreaking (living on the streets, being abandoned, having no food, abusive homes).As Marianne soon discovers, you can only pray that God will deliver them into good Christian homes and that the children will not be harmed or used for free labor.I appreciated that we get to see a variety of people in the story.Farmers, shopkeepers, housewives, business people, and children.Many of them are wholesome Christians, but there are a couple of bad seeds.They are realistic characters with flaws, issues, and concerns.It was pleasurable to catch up with Elise and Reinhold.There are good and valuable life lessons in the story (keeping Faith, importance of prayers, violence is wrong, forgiving yourself as well as others).Together Forever is a heartwarming, Christian novel.It is an emotional book that will tug at your heartstrings.I am curious to read Sophie’s story and look forward to the release of Searching for You (December 2018).

Thank you for visiting today. I will return tomorrow with my review of Heart of the Witch by Deanna Chase. May you have a merry day. Before you depart, make sure to leave a comment and then enter the giveaway. I hope you will take the time to check out the other stops on the tour. Take care and Happy Reading!KrisThe Avid Reader

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jody is giving away y a grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card!! Click here to enter.

Beaches, Bungalows and Burglaries by Tonya Kappes is the first tale in A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery series (and it is out today)! Mae West’s (not the actress) life
has been turned upside down. Her husband,
Paul duped people into investing in his Ponzi scheme and Mae did not know until
the FBI showed up at their house. She
has lost her home, car and possessions.
Her attorney, after he takes her car keys, states that there are two
items that she owns and one of them could help her earn a living. For some reason, Paul put an RV and the Happy
Trails Campground in Normal, Kentucky in Mae’s name. With no other options, Mae hops into her new
home on wheels and heads for Normal. The
brochure shows a beautiful campground on a lake and Mae could use a vacation
before making plans for her future. Mae arrives
at Happy Trails and discovers that the brochure was printed twenty years
ago. Mae is surprised to find out that
the residents of Happy Trails and Normal were also victims of Paul’s nefarious
schemes. Mae does not think life can get
worse, but then she is approached by Detective Hank Sharp (local FBI agent and park
ranger). Paul has escaped from prison
and his body has been found floating in Happy Trails gunky lake (covered in
green slime). Mae, of course, is at the
top of the suspect list, but there is a town full of alternatives. She sets out to find the Paul’s killer as
well as revitalize Happy Trails. She
will need help and the ladies of The Laundry Club are happy to assist. Come along to Normal, Kentucky where life is happily
never normal.

Beaches, Bungalows and Burglaries
was a delight to read. I found it
well-written and entertaining. It has a
nice steady pace throughout the whole book.
Mae West is an interesting and likeable main character. She would rather wallow in her new home, but she
is lacking in clean laundry. That is how
Mae meets the Laundry Club ladies whose stories make Mae wants to help those
taken advantage of by Paul. Mae, though,
is lacking in the life skills department (laundry, cleaning, cooking, how to
use a Keurig). It is a good thing she
met Dottie and the other ladies of The Laundry Club are willing to help Mae. The ladies warm up to Mae and set out to help
her fix up Happy Trails. The town has a
group of diverse characters and shops. I
loved Happy Trails and the residents. I
like how they come together for dinner and I had not heard of iron skillet
smores before this book. There is a hint
of romance in the story (a little flirting or interest expressed). I am happy the author did not rush Mae into a
relationship. The mystery was
straightforward, and I thought the killer stood out like a dog sitting in the
middle of a group of cats. My rating for
Beaches, Bungalows and Burglaries is 4 out of 5 stars. Beaches, Bungalows and Burglaries is an amusing
story and I am keen to read Deserts, Driving, and Derelicts (June 29, 2018).

Hair of the Dog by Carlene O’Neil
is the third installment in A Cypress Cove Mystery series.Penny Lively lives in Cypress Cove,
California where she owns Joyeux Winery.Penny walks into the veterinarian clinic that her cousin, Annie Moore co-owns
with Brian Grasser.She overhears Brian
accusing vet tech, Nicole of stealing medication.Nicole is dismissed, and they hope they have seen
the last of her.The next day, Annie and
Penny arrive at the clinic at the same time as Nicole who is picking up her
last check.Annie proceeds into the
clinic ahead of Nicole and Penny.The
pair find Annie holding a knife over Brian with blood pooling on the
floor.There was no forced entry, the
murder weapon belonged to Annie, and she had a $1 million-dollar motive (plus
she was standing over Brian with the knife in her hand).A distraught Annie asks Penny to investigate
and find the murderer.Penny knows Annie
did not harm Brian and agrees to nose around.There are a couple of suspects who could have committed the crime (Nicole,
Claire, Dot) and the people leasing space from Annie and Brian for their rabies
vaccine research have been acting secretive. When a second person connected to
Annie turns up dead, Penny knows she must work quickly before the killer
strikes again.

Hair of the Dog can be read as a
standalone.Penny’s background is
provided for readers.The book is nicely
written, but I found it to be a slow starter.It is just the right length for a cozy mystery (300 pages).The mystery has several components and the
author provided good misdirection.There
were just the right number of suspects and each had a good motive.Chief Lucas continually tells Penny to stay out
of the investigation, but Penny is dogged (she is very nosy) in her pursuit of
the killer (she cannot help herself).I did notice that he did not mind the
information she provided him.It was
interesting to find out more information about how a winery operates.The author provides beautiful descriptions of
the vines, the buildings and the town.Penny
is romantically interested in Connor, the manager of her winery.There was some flirting between them, but we
will have to wait and see how their relationship develops.There are good characters in Hair of the Dog
and the author has developed them as the series progresses. There are plenty of
cozy moments with food, wine, chatting with friends, and the events that take
place at Joyeux Winery.I am giving Hair of the Dog 3.5 out of 5 stars. The first two books in A Cypress Cove Mystery series are One Foot in the Grape and Ripe for Murder.

Revealing the Dead by Sheila Connolly is the sixth installment in Relatively Dead Mysteries. Abby Kimball is still contemplating what she
wants to do career wise. In the
meantime, she is going to work on renovating the Victorian home she shares with
New Newhall. Abby decides to start with
the tiny half bath on the first floor and contacts Maguire Plumbing. After agreeing to do away with the unusable little
room, Jack Maguire starts dismantling it.
Inside the back wall he finds an old wrench that belonged to his father. Abby can tell that Jack got a psychic shock
when he touched the tool, but he takes off before Abby can talk to him. She wonders how the tool got left inside the
wall and wonders if Jack Maguire has similar special abilities. Through Ellie Walker, Abby is introduced to her
new classmate, Danny Allen. Ellie
believes that the young autistic boy has abilities similar to her own and they
can communicate in a special way. When
Abby gets an opportunity to meet Danny, she is surprised by the colorful visions
she receives from him. Abby begins by
researching the Maguire family tree and then learns more about autism. Abby soon learns that an incident from the
past has startling implications for those in the present day. Join Abby on her journey in Revealing the Dead.

Revealing the Dead is not a standalone
novel. Each book in the Relatively Dead Mysteries builds upon the previous one as Abby and Ned learn more about their
special abilities. It was nice to catch
up with Abby and Ned in Lexington.
However, I am not thrilled with the direction the series has taken (too
much science). I find myself frustrated
with Abby. She has such a wonderful gift
and she has failed to fully explore it. Abby
spent a significant amount of time researching in this story which slowed down
the pace of the book plus there was a lack of action. I thought the writing was stilted which is
unusual for this author and there was too much repetition. I felt that Revealing the Dead could have
used polishing. My favorite character is
Ellie Walker. She is a smart young lady
who is open and accepting of her gift. I
like her inquisitive nature and her acceptance of others. It was wonderful the way she stood up for
Danny against bullies (it was handled very well). I believe it is past time for her mother,
Leslie to step up. She needs to work on
her relationship with Ned and Abby for Ellie’s sake. The ending felt incomplete. We are not told what decision Abby made
regarding the Birch School. I am hoping
to see Abby’s character grow in the next book.
She has yet to complete anything since the beginning of the series. It would be nice if there was less science
and more paranormal. I am rating Revealing the Dead 3 out of 5
stars. I find the cover for Revealing the Dead to be delightfully spooky. The other novels in Relatively Dead Mysteries are Relatively Dead, Seeing the Dead, Defending the Dead, Watch for the Dead, and Search for the Dead.

Review Policy

If you would like me to read and review your book, please contact me at Doodlesink@hotmail.com. I enjoy mysteries, paranormal, Christian fiction, and contemporary books. My reviews will be honest and are not influenced by receiving a book for free.